Machine for pressing the bottoms of shoes



Sept. 7, 1943. 1. e. MILLER MACHINE FOR PRESSING THE BOTTOMS 0F SHOES Filed June 26, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 7, '1943. 1.. e. MILLER MACHINE FOR PRESSING THE BOTTOMS OF SHOES Filed June 26, 1942 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Patented Sept. 7, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR PRESSING THE BOTTOMS OF SHOES 16 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for operating on shoes, and more particularly to machines for applying pressure to the bottoms of shoes. The invention is illustrated herein as applied to a machine for progressively leveling the bottom of a shoe, although it should be understood that it is not limited in its application to machines of this type.

In Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,104,739, granted January 11, 1938, on an application of A. Eppler et al. there is illustrated and described a leveling machine in which the shoesupporting jack has provisions for supporting the cone of the last in addition to the heel and toe supports, thereby eliminating the possibility of breakage or distortion of the last with the consequent damage to the shoe during the leveling operation. This cone support is movable heightwise of the shoe to a position determined by the shoe when the shoe is positioned on the jack, and, as heretofore constructed, upon movement of the jack manually from its loading position to a position in which it is coupled to the power-operated mechanism of the machine, the cone support is forced more firmly against the last or shoe, thereby to provide adequate support for the intermediate portion of the last.

The power-operated mechanism includes an arm to which the jack is automatically coupled by a spring-pressed pin as the jack is thus swung rearwardly to a predetermined position. After the machine has completed its cycle of operation, the jack is released for forward movement by a cam-operated wedge which acts on a lever connected to the spring-pressed pin to retract the pin, thus breaking the connection between the jack and the power-operated arm, whereupon the jack swings forwardly to its loading position under its own weight. In order to eliminate the time consumed and the energy required manually to move the jack from its loading position to its operative position, many operators prefer to render the cam-operated lever inoperative to extract the pin so that the jack never becomes disconnected from the power-operated arm and consequently does not move forwardly into the normal loading position. The jack is so located, however, at the end of the cycle of operation that the toe end of the shoe is below the leveling roll and spaced therefrom sufficiently to permit removal of the shoe from the jack. With the machine thus altered, the cone-supporting mechanism of the Eppler et al. patent becomes inoperative inasmuch as the operation of the cone support takes place in response to the movement of the jack from its forward inoperative position into its operative position in which it is connected to the power-operated arm. There is also a possibility in the prior construction, in the event that the shoe is jacked high through the carelessness of the operator, of lifting the toe end of the shoe upwardly from the toe support when the cone support is forced more firmly against the shoe, inasmuch as the toe end of the shoe is not engaged by the leveling roll at this time. Accordingly, when the leveling roll subsequently engages the toe end of the shoe under heavy pressure to force it downwardly against the toe support, there is a possibility of damage occurring to the shoe if it has not been properly jacked.

To obviate the possibility of the toe end of the shoe being lifted, in case the shoe has been jacked high, when the cone support is forced firmly against the shoe, and to render the cone support operative in machines in which the jack is not disconnected from its power-operated means and consequently there is no manual movement of the jack from loading position into position to be connected to its power-operated means, it is an object of the present invention to provide means for rendering the cone support operative in response to the initial power-operated movement of the jack substantially at the time when the leveling roll moves into contact with the toe end of the shoe bottom. To this end there is provided a toggle mechanism operatively connected to the mechanism by which the cone support is locked against movement out of shoe-supporting position, this toggle mechanism operating to effect the locking action substantially at the beginning of the power-operated movement of the jack. The movement of the cone support, by which it is forced more firmly against the shoe, takes place immediately thereafter and preferably simultaneously with the relative movements of the shoe and roll to apply pressure to the toe end of the shoe bottom. During the continued power-operated movement of the jack rearwardly from this position, the toggle is locked against movement so that no movement of the cone support takes place during the leveling operation. At the completion of the cycle of operation of the machine, the jack is returned by power to its initial position in which the toe end of the shoe is located below and slightly forwardly of the center of the leveling roll to permit its removal from the jack, and the toggle is operated at this time to unlock the cone support, thus substantially relieving the upward pressure on the cone of the last.

The novel featu es of the invention, including various details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described by reference to the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a front elevation of a portion of a machine in which the invention is embodied, certain parts being broken away to illustrate the construction more clearly;

Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2, illustrating the positions of the parts after the cone support has been locked and forced more firmly against the shoe.

The invention is herein illustrated as applied to a leveling machine of a well-known type, characteristic features of which are illustrated and described in various prior United States Letters Patent, including Letters Patent No. 1,667,761, granted on May 1, 1928, on an application of E. E. Winkley et al. and the Eppler et al. patent referred to above. Such machines include in their organization a shoe support or jack comprising a heel post id and a toe post it, carrying means for supporting a shoe and last for the leveling operation performed by a roll I that applies downward pressure on the shoe sole and acts progressively along the shoe bottom as the jack is swung by power-operated means in directions lengthwise of the shoe. The heel post it carries a spindle 56 arranged to enter the spindle hole in the heel end of the last, the spindle being mounted on a block l8 pivoted at 223 on an upward extension of the heel post to swing in directions lengthwise of the shoe. The spindle it extends through an enlarged opening in a plate 22 also carried by the block 18, the plate being free to tip about an axis extending laterally of the shoe to adjust itself to the top face of the heel end of the last. The block it is connected by a link i l to mechani m (not shown), whereby the block and spindle may be swung in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, to press the toe end of the shoe firmly down upon toe-supporting means on the toe post l2, as more fully disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,719,158, granted July 2, 1929, upon an application of E. E. Winkley et al. The toe-supporting means illustrated herein is substantially the same as that disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,962,141, granted June 12, 1934;, upon an application of A. Eppler, and comprises a member 2%) adjustable on arcuate guideways on the toe post i2 and having mounted thereon a block 28 adjustable upwardly and downwardly by means of a wedge 38. Supported on the block 23 is a toe rest comprising a rubber pad 32 hollowed out to receive the toe end of the shoe and a holder 3 1 on which the pad is mounted. The holder 34 is so mounted on the block 28 as to permit it to ad'ust itself to the sho about an axis extending laterally of the shoe and located substantially at the shoe-engaging face of the pad 32.

The jack is fulcrumed upon a shaft 3% supported in suitable bearings, one of which is indicated at in the frame of the machine. The jack is arranged to be swung by the operator from jacking position rearwardly of the position shown in Fig. 2 into position to be connected to an arm '53, also fulcrumed on the shaft by a springoperated pin it (Fig. 1) carried by the arm 38 and arranged to engage the jack in a recess formed therein. lhe arm is connected to power-operated mechanism (not shown), which upon depression of a treadle with which the machine is provided is arranged to swing the arm and jack about the axis of the shaft 35 in directions lengthwise of the shoe to carry the last and shoe rearwardly and forwardly under the leveling roll M. A lever pivoted at to the arm 38, is arranged to withdraw the pin ill from the recess in the jack at the end of the leveling operation to permit the jack to swing forwardly or to the left from the position shown in Fig. 2, in which it is disconnected from the power-operated arm This lever is actuated to withdraw the pin it from locking engagement with the jack by a cam-operated wedge (not shown), but the construction of which is familiar to those skilled in the art. Certain operators prefer to maintain the locking engagement between the power-operated arm and the jack at all times, and accordingly render the lever 52 inoperative by the cam-operated wedge as by removing that portion of the lever arranged to be engaged by the wedge so that the pin is at all times seated in the recess in the jack and the jack and arm are permanently coupled together. When the lever is thus altered, the forwardmost position which the jack assumes is that indicated in Fig. 2 with the toe end of the shoe below the leveling roll but somewhat forwardly of the center thereof, in which case it is possible to remov the shoe from the jack and load another one thereon. These operators prefer to operate the machine in this manner to save the time and energy required manually to move the jack into the position of Fig. 2 in which it is coupled to the power-operated arm.

The last is supported between its heel end and forepart by a supporting means 46. This supporting means comprises a rubber pad 48 hollowed. out to receive the wedge-shaped upper end of the instep portion of the last or shoe and a holder 50 on which the pad is mounted. The holder is mounted on a slide 52 for swinging movement about an axis extending laterally of the shoe to permit the pad 3 to adjust itself to each shoe. The slide 52 is mounted for movements in directions heightwise of the shoe in a boss 54 on the block 28 and is supported by a spring (not shown) in position to be engaged by the last when placed on the jack. For moving the support more firmly against the last during rearward movement of the jack, an arm 56 is provided, this arm being rctatably supported at the outer end of a projection 53 extending laterally from the block 28. The arm 56 carries a pawl iii held out of engagement with the teeth of a ratchet when the jack is in its loading position, by a shield The ratchet is keyed on a shaft 62 the other end of which carries a pinion 625 which meshes with rack teeth formed in the slide As illustrated and described more fully in the Eppler et al. patent, when the arm 56 is moved in a clockwise direction, the pawl 57 moves into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 55, thus locking the slide 52 against downward movement, and then, upon further movement of the arm 5%; in the same direction, the slide 52 is moved upwardly to force the pad 38 more firmly against the last. The time during the movement of the arm 55 in which the slide 52 is locked against downward movement and then forced upwardly is variable so that the amount of force exerted by the pad 48 againstthe last may be varied. This is effected by adjusting the shield 63 around the projection 58 to vary the time at which the pawl is movable into locking relationship with the ratchet 59. In thepatented construction of Eppler et al. No. 2,104,739, the movement of the arm 56 is efiected in response to manual movement of the jack from a loading position into the position in which it is connected to the power-operated arm 36, by the cooperative action of a roll at the lower end of the arm 55 and a cam surface carried by the power-operated arm 38. This arrangement precludes the operation of the supporting means 46 if the machine is so altered that the jack is always coupled to the power-operated arm, inasmuch as relative movement between the jack and the arm is necessary to operate the supporting means.

In the illustrated form of the invention, the slide 52 is arranged to be locked in'response to movement of the jack by the power-operated arm. The lower end of the arm 56 is pivotally connected to one end of a toggle link 62, the other end of the link being connected to one end of a' toggle link 64. The other end of the link 64 is pivoted at 56 to a bracket 68 extending rearwardly from the jack. The upper surface of the toggle link 64 is provided with a camsurface which cooperates with a cam roll 10 to cause the toggle links 62 and 64 to be straightened during the initial portion of the power-operated rearward movement of the jack. This straightening of the toggle links causes the arm 56 to move in a clockwise direction, thereby to lock he slide 52 against downward movement and to force the supporting means 45 more firmly against the last. The point in the rearward movement of the jack at which the support 46 is moved upwardly is preferably adjusted by the shield 66 so that it will occur as the leveling roll l4 moves into contact with the toe end of the shoe, which thereby prevents the toe end of the shoe from being lifted from the toe pad 32 even if the shoe is jacked high by the failure of the operator to depress an arm H sufiiciently when the shoe is jacked to force the toe end of the shoe firmly against the toe pad 32. Additional adjustment of the timing is obtained by the mounting of the cam roll 10 on an eccentric 12 (Fig. 2) which is carried by one end of a bracket 14 (Fig. l), the other end of which is secured to the frame of the machine. When the machine is at rest, the toggle links are held by a spring iii in the positions shown in Fig. 2 with the link 64 against the cam roll 10. This spring 16 extends between a forwardly extending projection T8 of the arm 56 and a pin in a boss 80 carried by the projection 58. As the jack is moved rearwardly by the power-operated arm 38, the engagement of the toggle link 64 with the cam roll 16 causes the toggle to become straightened after a slight movement of the jack thus forcing the support 46 firmly against the last. The spring 16 then snaps the toggle slightly past its straightened position into the position shown in Fig. 3. In this position the toggle is held against collapse by a screw 82 threaded through a projection 84 of the toggle'link 62, the end of the screw engaging a shoulder 86 of the toggle link 64. The upper surface of the link 64 moves out of engagement with the cam roll 10 after the toggle links have been moved to the positions shown in Fig. 3, and there is no tendency for the link to be moved any further by the camroll I as the jack moves rearwardly during the leveling operation. The support 46 is accordingly locked in the position into which it has been moved during the initial rearward power movement of the jack, during the leveling operation.

At the completion of the leveling operation, the jack is returned by the power-operated arm 38 into the position shown in Fig. 2, at which time it is desirable to relieve the force exerted by the support 46. This is effected by a tail 88 of the toggle link 64 which has been moved from the position of Fig. 2 to the position of Fig. 3 during the initial rearward movement of the jack. As the jack is returned into initial position, the tail engages the cam roll 70 and the toggle link 64 is moved in a clockwise direction past dead center, whereupon the spring T6 snaps the toggle links back into their initial positions and moves the arm 56 in a counterclockwise direction to release the support 48. If the pin 40 is automatically moved to the left (Fig. 1) by the cam-operated wedge, the jack will move forwardly or toward the left from the position shown in Fig. 1. During this time, however, the support 46 is not exerting any substantial pressure against the last and. the same is likewise true during rearward movement of the jack from its forward loading position into the position of Fig. 2, in which it is coupled to the power-operated arm.

It will thus be seen that the support 46 is forced more firmly against the last after the shoe has been placed on the jack only after the jack has been swung rearwardly under power and the toe end of the shoe is engaged by the leveling roll id. Thus, the toe end of the shoe is positively held against upward displacement from the toe pad 32 and the cone support may be operated without the necessity of releasing the jack from the power-operated arm 38.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a shoe-pressing machine, means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe, a jack for supporting a shoe at the heel end and at the forepart in the pressing operation, an additional support for the shoe between the heel end and the forepart, and means for rendering said additional support effective only in response to relative movement of the jack and pressure-applying means to apply pressure to the shoe.

2. In a shoe-pressing machine, means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe, a jack for supporting a shoe at the heel end and at the forepart in the pressing operation, an additional support for the shoe between the heel end and the forepart, and means for rendering said additional support effective only in response to move-- ment of the jack to carry the shoe into position to be engaged by said pressure-applying means.

3. In a shoe-pressing machine, means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe, a jack for supporting a shoe at the heel end and at the forepart in the pressing operation, power-operated means for moving said jack in directions lengthwise of the shoe during the pressing operation, an additional support for the shoe between the heel end and the fcrepart, and means for rendering said additional support effective only in response to the initial movement of the jack by the power-operated means.

4;. In a shoe-pressing machinefmeans for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe, a jack for supporting a shoe at the heel end and at the forepart in the pressing operation, an additional support for the shoe between the heel end and the forepart, and means for forcing said additional support firmly against the shoe only in response to relative movement of the jack and pressure-applying means to apply pressure to the toe end of the shoe.

5. In a shoe-pressing machine, means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe, a jack for supporting a shoe at the heel end and at the forepart in the pressing operation, an additional support for the shoe between the heel end and the forepart, means for forcing said additional support firmly against the shoe only in response to relative movement of the jack and the pressure-applying means to apply pressure to the toe end of the shoe, means for holding said support in operative relation to the shoe during the pressing operation, and means for relieving the pressure between the shoe and support in response to movement of the jack to carry the shoe away from the pressure-applying means.

6. In a shoe-pressing machine, means for ap plying pressure to the bottom of a shoe, a jack for supporting the shoe at the heel end and at the forepart in the pressing operation, an additional support for the shoe between the heel end and the forepart movable to a position determined by the shoe by the pressure of the shoe on said additional support in the jacking operation, means for swinging the jacl; in directions lengthwise of the shoe during the pressing operation, and means for forcing said additional support more firmly against the shoe and for holding it in shoe-supporting position only in response to movement of the jack to carry the shoe into position to be engaged by said pressure-applying means.

'7. In a shoe-pressing machine, means for applying pressure to the bottom or" a shoe, a jack for supporting t e shoe at the heel end and at the forepart in the pressing operation, an additional support for the shoe between the heel end and the iorepart movable to a position determined by the shoe by the pressure of the shoe on said additional support in the jacking operation, power-operated means for swinging the jack in directions lengthwise of the shoe during the pressing operation, and means operative in response to movement of said jack by the poweroperated means for forcing said additional support more firmly against the shoe and for holding it in shoesupporting position.

8. In a leveling macrine, a leveling roll, a jack for supporting a shoe at the heel end and at the forepart in the leveling operation, a pivoted arm for swinging said jack in directions lengthwise of the shoe to cause said roll to apply pressure progressively along the bottom of the shoe, an additional support for the shoe between the heel end and the forepart, and means for rendering said additional support effective in response to movement of the jack by the arm to carry the shoe into position to be engaged by said roll.

9. In a leveling machine, a leveling roll, a jack for supporting a shoe at the heel end and at the forepart in the leveling operation, a pivoted. arm for swinging said jack in directions lengthwise of the shoe to cause said roll to apply pressure progressively along the bottom of the shoe, an additional support for the shoe between the heel end and the forepart movable to a position determined by the shoe by pressure of the shoe on said additional support in the jacking operation, and mechanism operative in response to movement of the jack by the arm for forcing said additional support more firmly against the shoe while the shoe is being moved into position to be engaged by the leveling roll and for holding the additional support in shoe-supporting position.

10. In a shoe-pressing machine, means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe, a jack for supporting a shoe at the heel end and at the forepart in the pressing operation, an additional support for the shoe between the heel end and the forepart, a toggle connected to said additional support and arranged to force said support firmly against the shoe in response to straightening of the toggle, and means for straightening said toggle in response to movement of the jack to carry the shoe into position to be engaged by said pressure-applying means.

11. In a shoe-pressing machine, means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe, a jack for supporting a shoe at the heel end and at the forepart in the pressing operation, an ad itional support for the shoe between the heel end and the forepart, a toggle connected to said additional support and arranged to force said support firmly against the shoe in response to straightening of the toggle, and means carried by the frame of the machine arranged to act on said toggle to straighten it in response to movement of the jack to carry the shoe into position to be engaged by said pressure-applying means.

12. In a shoe-pressing machine, means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe, a jack for supporting a shoe at the heel end and at the forepart in the pressing operation, an additional support for the shoe between the heel end and the forepart, a toggle connection to said additional support and arranged to force said support firmly against the shoe in response to straightening of the toggle, means carried by the frame of the machine arranged to act on said toggle to straighten it in response to movement of the jack to carry the shoe into position to be engaged by said pressure-applying means, and means for holding the toggle substantially in straightened position during swinging movements of the jack in the pressing operation.

13. In a shoe-pressing machine, means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe, a jack for supporting a shoe at the heel end and at the forepart in the pressing operation, an additional support for the shoe between the heel end and the forepart, a toggle connected to said additional support and arranged to force said support firmly against the shoe in response to straightening of the toggle, and means carried by the frame of the machine arranged to act on said toggle to straighten it in response to movement of the jack to carry the shoe into position to be engaged by said pressure-applying means, one of the links of said toggle having a member arranged to cooperate with said last-narned means to break the toggle and release the support in response to swinging of said jack to carry the shoe away from said pressure-applying means.

14. In a leveling machine, a leveling roll, a jack for supporting a shoe at the heel end and at the forepart in the leveling operation, a pivoted arm for swinging said jack in directions lengthwise of the shoe to cause said roll to apply pressure progressively along the bottom of the shoe, an additional support for the shoe between the heel end of the forepart, a toggle connected to said additional support and arranged to force said support firmly against the shoe in response to straightening of the toggle, and means for straightening said toggle in response to a combined movement of the jack and arm to carry the shoe into position to be engaged by said roll.

15. In a leveling machine, a leveling roll, a jack for supporting a shoe at the heel end and at the forepart in the leveling operation, a pivoted arm for swinging said jack in directions lengthwise of the shoe to cause said roll to apply pressure progressively along the bottom of the shoe, power-operated means for swinging said arm, an additional support for the shoe between the heel end and the forepart movable to a position determined by the shoe by pressure of the shoe on said additional support, a toggle connected to said additional support and arranged to force said support firmly against the shoe in response to straightening of the toggle, and means carried by the frame of the machine arranged to act on said toggle to straighten it in response to movement of the jack by the pivoted arm to carry the shoe into position to be en aged by said leveling roll.

16. In a leveling machine, a leveling roll, a jack for supporting a shoe at the heel end and at the forepart in the leveling operation, a pivoted arm for swinging said jack in directions lengthwise of the shoe to cause said roll to apply pressure progressively along the bottom of the shoe, power-operated means for swinging said arm, an additional support for the shoe between the heel end and the forepart movable to a position determined by the shoe by pressure of the shoe on said additional support, a toggle connected to said additional support and arranged to force said support firmly against the shoe in response to straightening of the toggle, means carried by the frame of the machine arranged to act on said toggle to straighten it in response to movement of the jack by the pivoted arm to carry the shoe into position to be engaged by said leveling roll, means for holding the toggle substantially in straightened position during swinging movements of the jack in the pressing operation, and means carried by the toggle arranged to cooperate with said toggle-straightening means to break the toggle and release the support in response to swinging movement of the jack to carry the shoe away from said pressure-applying means.

LLOYD G. MILLER. 

